


The Grunt's Guide to Selecting a Paramour

by antigrav_vector, Quarra



Series: The 212th Attack Battalion's Guide to Saving the Galaxy by Accident [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, GFY, Gen, Gossip, Mandalorian Culture, Mando'a, POV Multiple, Political tensions, Shenanigans, discussion of (someone else's) past trauma, don't worry there's a glossary, mandalorians trying to figure out what the Force is, outsider pov, thirsty verd'e
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28311768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigrav_vector/pseuds/antigrav_vector, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quarra/pseuds/Quarra
Summary: Zeiirk and Wen watched as the Mereels and those eightad'ikethey helped rescue on Concordia reconnected... but their attention was more focused on thebuir'eand thejetiise, than on thead'ike. Albeit for very different reasons. At first.
Relationships: Darist H'yza (OC) & Zeiirk Ral'nu (OC), Wen Jehail (OC) & Zeiirk Ral'nu (OC), background Kree Wren (OC)/Irre Wren (OC), implied past Jaster Mereel/Zeiirk Ral'nu (OC)
Series: The 212th Attack Battalion's Guide to Saving the Galaxy by Accident [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1830226
Comments: 19
Kudos: 239





	The Grunt's Guide to Selecting a Paramour

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: This bit of nonsense spawned one evening as Quarra and I were discussing the main fic and certain events taking place therein.
> 
> Scenes from Zeiirk's POV are mine.  
> Scenes from Wen's POV are written by Quarra.
> 
> Takes place concurrently with chapters 48-49 of [The 212th Attack Battalion's Guide to Staging Rescues](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25262914).
> 
> To those who celebrate it, a happy Christmas, and to the rest of you a wonderful and safe end of year celebration. Have a bonus fic on us.

\-- POV: Wen Jehail --

Wen settled against the side wall of the palace training yard. He had a nice stretch of space to himself. Most of the other _verd'e_ setting up to watch the inevitable _jetii_ shenanigans had found observations spots with better sightlines, just in case they decided to start recording.

That sort of demonstration was possible. Alright, it was _likely_ , given that the _jetiise_ and the Mereels seemed incapable of not pulling crazy training stunts. Wen wasn't really interested in doing any recording; there was enough competition in the exchanges of holos of such demos as it was. He could pretty easily find a copy somewhere if this afternoon proved to be spectacular.

He didn't think it would be that wild, though. Rumor had it that today the _ad'e be'Mand'alor_ were meeting up with some of the _ad'e_ they'd rescued on Concordia. No _mando'ad'e_ worth their souls would trespass by recording someone else's _ad'ike_ playing with each other. Even if half of those _ad'ike_ had already done their _verd'goten_ and were technically considered adults. 

Any displays of skill would be fair game, however. Since both the _jetii'buir'e_ were in attendance as well, hopeful watchers still gathered around the edges of the yard. 

_Ver'alor_ Darist was the first to show up with her newly adopted _ad_ , Falin. Darist wandered over to talk to the adult _jetiise_ , while Falin loped across the yard to join the Mereels in a round of hugs and greetings. 

"Warms the heart, doesn't it?" 

Wen straightened up in mild surprise and turned to look at the _verd_ who'd joined him while he was distracted.

" _Su'cuy_ , Zeiirk," Wen said with a nod. He was smiling, too, though she wouldn't be able to see that with his _buy'ce_ on. 

She nodded back and took a seat next to him on the crate he'd perched on.

"You mind if I eat my lunch?" she asked unnecessarily.

"Feel free," he said with a wave.

She pulled off her _buy'ce_ and set it down in between them. Her medium length brown hair was braided tightly to the back of her head and was damp with sweat. She rummaged under her cloak for a minute before pulling out a small metal box and setting it on her lap.

With very little fanfare, she popped it open to reveal a meal of fish with red curry sauce. 

By the time Wen took his _buy'ce_ off, for politeness sake, she'd already started digging in.

"Lunch break?" he asked.

She mumbled out an affirmative while chewing. After some concentrated chewing to clear her mouth, she said, "Maze is out sick. Called in at the last karking minute yesterday. Left Darist scrambling to find people to cover for her. I jumped in for a few extra shifts. Maze owes me lunch."

Wen nodded and went back to studying the scene playing out in front of him on the training field.

More _verd'e_ and their new _ad'ike_ had shown up to rekindle their connection with the _Mand'alor_ 's mob of tiny _verd'e_. It would be good for them, Wen thought. He was born _mando'ad_ , but his _vod_ was a Foundling. They'd all had to make some adjustments after he'd been adopted. One of those adjustments was helping him recover from the ordeal that orphaned him. 

So Wen knew from his own experience that this kind of meet up would help these _ad'ike_ recover and find stability in their new lives. All of them. The Mereels and the ones found in the mine in Concordia. 

Some of the more cynical _mando'ad'e_ around the palace had some very unflattering commentary about it, saying that Jaster's _verd'e_ were trying to play favorites. _Their_ children were getting training time and socialization time with the _Mand'alor_ 's fierce _ad'ike_ while nearly everyone else had been politely but firmly refused. 

Wen didn't think that refusal would last. Or at least, it would last right up until all of the Mereels completed their _verd'goten_ , and then they would be able to refuse everyone themselves. If there was a group of children out there that were _less_ interested in doing anything with other kids, Wen hadn't seen them. The little ones seemed a lot like Jango in that respect.

They reminded Wen of Jango _a lot_. Not just in looks, though he'd noticed that they did bear a striking resemblance to their _ori'vod_. There was something about the way they moved and the seriousness of every action. Jango had been like that just after Jaster had adopted him. After Death Watch had killed his _buir'e_.

No, Wen didn't think those _ad'ike_ would be interested in fun and games for a while. At least not the types that other _mando'ad'ike_ would be interested in. Their training was far too advanced, as well; it would be pointless to put them in a class with children their age. 

That didn't stop idiots from gossiping. 

Nothing stopped idiots from gossiping.

Wen was here to see for himself. Partially because he wanted to know for the sake of knowing, but mostly because he… well, he wasn't _concerned_ about Jango. That would be crazy. Jango could take care of himself. Wen was just feeling a little cautious.

When Jango had shown up for the first time, years ago, he'd just proven himself in combat against the _demagolka Kyr'tsad_ who'd orphaned him. He'd had armor from his birth _buir'e_ , a fresh coat of paint that screamed perseverance and vengeance and duty, and a chip on his shoulder about the size of Sundari's biodome. 

Wen had immediately decided that it was his job to make the kid lighten up. Jaster had put Jango in charge of the Grunts. Ostensibly. The unspoken expectation was that the older _verd'e_ would help Jango learn how to lead the group, guiding him and prodding him into wise decisions. Wen had done a lot of that. He'd kept it teasing and light, he'd nudged and guided and joked, and over the years he'd had the pleasure of seeing Jango grow into a formidable _verd_. He wasn't at his peak yet, but he would get there.

So now that Jango was suddenly stressed and busy and overwhelmed with a whole new family of traumatized _ad'ike_ piled on top of the return of the monsters who'd killed his birth _aliit_ , _and_ a new alliance with their age old enemy… Wen had decided to keep a careful watch on his favorite hardass _verd'ika_ and all of his new _vod'ike_.

Wen had a lot of mixed feelings about the new Mereels. They seemed to be good kids. Smart and competent. _Too_ competent. The kind of shit experiences that turned ten year olds into seasoned war vets made Wen alternate between burning rage and icy hate. He could see the rest of the adult _mando'ad'e_ around the palace have the same damn reaction, too. And, kark, Jango had taken it hard.

Most people probably didn't see it; Jango was a private person, and he tended to focus all of his upset into his work, honing his own skills to razor sharpness. Not to mention riding the rest of them like they'd be fighting the whole galaxy off their doorstep within a few hours. 

Jango had barely had time to breathe, recently, let alone relax with his friends. Both Myles and Silas had approached Wen, asking after Jango. Between the Death Watch campaign and the new _vod'e_ he was helping get settled, Jango had hardly even commed them. They didn't blame him; everyone knew how busy he was. They still _missed_ him.

Depending on how this afternoon's mingling went, maybe Wen could scheme something up between Jango and his friends, too. He'd recruit Jango's new _vod'ike_ if he needed to. That was sort of a last resort, though. He didn't want them to think that they'd been taking Jango's time away from him. 

"Did you see the _jetiise_ spar with each other?" Zeiirk asked. She was a Headhunter, so she and Wen weren't often working on the same projects. That didn't stop them from being friends. 

Honestly, it was probably for the better. If they two of them had been in the same hunting group, they'd never have gotten kriffing anything done.

"I saw some holos, and a couple of the drill sessions," he admitted. 

He wasn't obsessive about it. Not like some other _verd'e_. 

...It was pretty badass, though.

"Kark, I'd never realized how kriffing sexy the _jetiise_ were," Zeiirk groaned in between bites. 

Wen snorted. Then he started snickering. 

He rolled his eyes and leaned over to bump shoulders with her. "You thirsting already?"

"Listen," she said, giving him a defensive look. When he didn't stop laughing, she poked at his chest plate and said, " _Listen_."

"I'm listening?" Wen raised his eyebrows at her.

"They're hot."

"You need to get laid." He shook his head.

"Preferably with one of those _jetiise_ ," Zeiirk agreed with a wide eyed leer at the robed figures. 

All of the _verd'e_ and their _ad'ike_ had arrived. The adults were talking off to the side together, while the _ad'ike_ all chatted in the middle. The little _jet'ika_ bounced over to his _buir'e_ and dragged the visiting one off into the mob of children.

"One, or both?" Wen asked, just to be cheeky.

"I'm fine with either of those options," Zeiirk said with a small shrug.

Wen gave himself a moment to take a long look at the _jetiise_. 

Kriff, but she wasn't wrong. They were pretty damn hot. Wen kinda preferred the look of the shorter one, himself, if only because the taller one looked just as likely to cut off his dick as anything else. 

"You do like the scary ones," Wen said, shaking his head.

"The thrill of danger." Zeiirk nodded. She leaned over to nudge him in the shoulder back. "Besides, like you're any different. You're just as much of an adrenaline junkie as the rest of us."

"I'm really not."

Zeiirk gave him a flat, disbelieving look.

Wen winced a little and thought back to any number of, er, inadvisable things -- and beings -- that he'd done in the past.

"Ok, maybe a little," he admitted.

That earned him a smirk. 

She nodded knowingly at him and waggled her eyebrows. "You know you want it."

Wen shrugged, and started to mumble a few disclaimers.

Zeiirk just talked right over him. "Uh huh. Right. Sure. Tell that to the Nightsister you spent a weekend with."

Kriff, that witch had been hot.

"We had to karking unkidnap you before she jumped the system with you chained to her bed." The look Zeiirk gave him had no right to be as judgy as it was.

Not that Wen was paying much attention to that look. He was busy thinking about that bed. 

"Good times," Wen said with a ruefully satisfied grin. "Besides, that lasted a _weekend_. You chased that damn zabrak around the karking galaxy."

Her expression turned to mock-offense. "He wanted me to chase him. It was a _game_."

"It was an excuse to marathon kriff in between bounties." Wen raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah." Now it was her turn to grin and stare off into the distance for a minute.

They both ended up snickering until Zeiirk went back to nibbling on her lunch.

Which was about when all of the _mando'ad'ike_ ran over to the tall _jetii_ and started hugging him.

That was shocking enough. What was funnier was the brief look of utter panic on the man's face. He covered it very quickly, much to Wen's disappointment, but he kept shooting pleading glances at the long haired _jetii_.

Zeiirk had to cover her mouth to keep from spitting out the bite of curry that she'd just taken. Wen's shoulders shook with silent laughter. The only thing that kept him from outright cackling was the thought of the scary _jetii_ noticing and holding a grudge. Wen wasn't much for politics, but even he knew that it was bad form to laugh at a visiting dignitary. 

Even if it was hilarious.

The long haired _jetii_ didn't let his fellow flounder for long. Soon he walked over and distracted all of the _ad'ike_. 

"Kark, do you think they're _riduur'e_?" Zeiirk asked.

Wen hummed to himself as he watched. The two older _jetiise_ did seem easier around each other. The long haired one mellowed the scary one right out. They smiled and shared knowing looks. Then there was the _jet'ika_ , who hung off of them both like they were the _ka'ra_ come planetside. 

"Hard to say," Wen mused.

"They don't…" Zeiirk made a little wavey motion with her fork, motioning back and forth between the _jetiise_. "I donno. Touch, I guess."

"What, you expected the cold, emotionless _jetiise_ to kiss in greeting?" Wen teased. He knew that line was probably banthashit, especially given how the _jetiise_ acted around their little one. The stereotype was a good way to poke at Zeiirk for her possibly unreasonable expectation.

"I heard that they can feel each other's emotions," Zeiirk said.

Wen nodded as watched the _ad'ike_ mill around and chat, only half of his attention on Zeiirk's blatant speculation. 

Then he stopped and frowned. There was something about that statement that made him think that Zeiirk was trying to get at something that he hadn't figured out just yet.

"Yeah? They've all got spooky mind powers," he said, verbally prodding her to see what would come out. 

He could have elaborated. Wen didn't like to spread it around because it was private, clan matters, but one of his cousins was blessed by _manda_. She was older than him by several years, and though she followed the _Resol'nare_ , she hadn't chosen the path of a _verd_. Because of that, they'd never really run in the same groups, though they still saw each other at _aliit_ gatherings.

So Wen had a slightly better idea of what someone touched by the _Ka'ra_ could do than Zeiirk likely did. 

The _jetiise_ were so different in a lot of ways from what he expected based on past experience. Now, after watching the _jetiise_ as he had for the past few months, he _suspected_ that what the _jetiise_ called the Force and the _mando'ad'e manda_ were the same thing. Or maybe different aspects of a wider reaching phenomena. 

Making that insinuation to the wrong person would be just asking for an asskicking, though. He'd watched Kree get into a fight over that exact thing not more than a couple days ago. It wasn't a serious scuffle, no punches thrown. Kree had the benefit of being damn good at home distilling, which meant that no one wanted to permanently piss him off lest he cut them all off. Wen…

Well. Wen liked to think that he was pretty well-liked. His squad followed what he said and the rest of the Grunts listened when he had advice. Probably because he liked to crack jokes while telling it; everyone liked a good joke.

Even considering that, he still wasn't sure if he wanted to kick over that warp-wasp nest himself by spouting off about how the _jetiise_ and the _mando'ad'e_ were maybe connected to the universe the same way. That sort of statement implied they shared a lot of kinship with an age old enemy. 

He needed more information. Both about the visiting _jetiise_ and how _mando'ad'e_ interacted with _manda_ and the _Ka'ra_. 

"What if they can feel emotions during sex?" Zeiirk asked dreamily, completely derailing Wen's train of thought.

"What?!" He snapped his attention back to her with such force that he felt like he'd been jabbed in the side. Kark, that statement alone was enough to send him reeling down a totally different warren of speculation.

"Think about it. They feel what you feel." She nodded her head and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes and then wiggled her eyebrows.

Wen cackled. "I guess they'd better be good at what they do. Can you picture being in bed with someone who was faking it and feeling that?"

Zeiirk laughed so hard that she snorted and had to cover her mouth. "Some poor _verd_ being so excited that they're about to ascend to _manda_ , then they get into bed and it's just… boring." She leaned over to rest her head on her hand and cackled breathlessly. "And the _jetii_ knowing how unimpressive they're being. Oh, _ka'ra_."

"Well, they are monks, aren't they?" Wen said, laughing along with her. "Do they even _do_ sex? Who knows?"

"You could always ask." Zeiirk waggled her eyebrows at him again.

"Pfft, you first," Wen shot back.

Their good natured teasing was interrupted by the sound of blaster fire.

Oh. Ben and the long haired _jetii_ were doing some shooting.

Really, really _good_ shooting.

Wen's throat dried up.

"Kark, that's not even _fair_ ," he muttered. The long haired _jetii_ was so _pretty_. He handled a blaster like he was born to do it, spinning it and tossing it deftly in the air while Ben was taking his turn shooting. The _jet'ika_ looked up at his _buir_ and his _ori'vod_ with pure adoration. A tiny part of Wen that was always on the watch noticed that the other _jetii_ , the tall one, was watching his maybe- _riduur_ with a much quieter version of the same look.

Kriff. Maybe that rumor that they were _riduur'e_ really was on the mark.

"Do you think we could convince them to stay?" Zeiirk asked faintly, sounding incredibly distracted. 

Wen had to admit, he was pretty distracted himself. 

"And ask them to give up whatever vows they've made to their Order?" Wen snorted and shook his head. That was about as likely as banthas flying.

"They'd get so much sex." Now Zeiirk was firmly off in the land of daydreams, happily considering whatever wildly unlikely scenario that crossed her mind. 

Wen covered his face with his palm and groaned. Empathy during an orgy sounded like a terrible plan, and he just _knew_ that was what Zeiirk was thinking of. 

" _Vod_ , I'm telling you this as your friend and as a fellow _verd_ ," he said, serious, "you need to find someone to go kriff. Hunt down the _Mand'alor_ , if you can. _Manda_ knows you were smug enough the last time you two had a fling."

She'd been so, so smug. Not because Jaster was the _Mand'alor_. Maybe the New Mandalorians might care about that sort of _osik_ , but the _Haat Mando'ad'e_ didn't. No, Zeiirk had been smug because apparently Jaster was a nexu in the sack. 

"I would, but he's so damn busy. Hell, we all are." She shrugged. 

" _Haat_ ," Wen said, nodding ruefully.

The _ori'ramikad'e_ had spent weeks running with the combined _verd'e_ of the clans and the _jetiise_ forces to stamp out Death Watch in their sector, and then turned right back around and picked up loose ends with security around the palace and various other strategic locations afterwards. 

Jaster's companies were all mercenaries. They knew how to stand guard duty just as well as they knew how to find a target or win a fight; they'd all taken the added security measures that the council had put in place with good grace. Knowing more ways to be effective was a boon. The _ori'ramikad'e_ and the _verd'e_ were peerless when it came to small engagements. Fighting an actual _war_ was different. 

They'd learned and adapted. Once the local _verd'e_ and guard had increased their numbers a bit and gotten some extra training, Jaster's companies of _ori'ramikad'e_ could go back to picking up contracts. Until then, they were sticking close to Mandalore space.

There had been a shockingly small amount of bitching about it, too. 

For Wen, it just felt… right. Somehow. They were making the Mandalore Sector safe. _Verd'e_ from many clans -- _Haat Mando'ad'e_ , New Mandalorian, _and_ unaffiliated clans -- had joined together to accomplish this one goal: stop the _dar'manda demagolkase_ that were masquerading as proper _mando'ad'e_.

It was strange. Uncomfortable at times.

 _But needed_ , a little part of Wen whispered. 

And they'd all triumphed, with the aid of the _jetiise_ and the _Mand'alor_ 's hyper competent foundlings. Wen and the Grunts had been on the receiving end of one of Cody's very memorable rants about security risks and combat training. He'd seen the sense of it despite the tiny package that the information had come in. Nothing like being lectured by an _ad'ika_ to sting a _verd_ 's pride. What was worse was that Cody was _right_. There _were_ holes in their security. 

Not any more. 

Kriff, but Wen hoped that this would all last. He wanted to see a united Mandalore. He wanted his clan cousins to meet other clans and mingle and share their traditional festivals with others that time and prejudice and ceaseless arguing had kept from them. 

And maybe… maybe the _jetiise_ could be one of those clans. Like a lost tribe. There were plenty of those in Mandalore's history. 

If the _jetiise_ shared some of their beliefs, as the similarities between _manda_ and their Force suggested… that might not be too far fetched. 

Tarre Viszla had been a _jetii_ , after all. He'd been one of the greatest rulers that Mandalore had ever seen. A thousand years later and the _mando'ad'e_ all _still_ respected the sight of his chosen weapon. 

Wen watched as the blaster practice wrapped up and the _mando'ad'ike_ peppered the long haired _jetii_ with questions. 

Then he watched as the _jetii_ swayed in place, as if getting ready to faint. The little ones all looked worried and Wen could almost feel Ben and the liaison start to fret. The moment passed and the long haired _jetii_ blinked and was back to his normal self again. 

_The Force_ , Wen mused. _Or the manda. Or both. Or neither._

He needed to talk to his clan leader, and then maybe his cousin. Then he'd have to coordinate with the Armourer.

Wen wanted to see them all succeed. He would follow his _Mand'alor_ , no matter what, but Wen also knew that he could do a hell of a lot more than just _follow_. 

Maybe… if the _jetiise_ were worthy… Wen might see what he could do about bridging the gap between them all.

\--

\-- POV: Zeiirk Ral'nu --

Stifling a groan and stretching out her shoulders, Zeiirk forced her back straight as she very gratefully handed off the watch to her relief.

Kark, but it had been a long day.

 _I am never volunteering for more than one extra shift within the same rotation again,_ she promised herself as she started making her way wearily to the kitchens to meet Wen and help carry latemeal up to bitch-and-bet night. _Not even if Maze begs me to on her knees and in nothing but her bare skin._

It was too bad Maze had recently married at last, and wasn't interested in that sort of fling anymore. In fact, if Zeiirk's guesses were on the mark, there might be a new _ik'aad_ to play with, in a few months. Given that Maze was blessed with an immune system seemingly made out of _beskar_ , that seemed like the most likely 'sickness' to have hit her friend.

It would, unfortunately, mean that there would be a long-term reshuffle of the various guard rotations and shifts. Nothing that they couldn't handle easily, but it was still a logistical concern that she and Darist would have to keep in mind, and it could potentially also affect future potential missions.

Such as the one Ardanna was guaranteed to be planning, on behalf of her favourite little _verd'ike_.

That was one that Zeiirk was half-anticipating and half-dreading. It would probably turn out to be the political equivalent of a thermal detonator, given that the _Mand'alor_ himself was involved and seeking revenge for injuries inflicted on his _ad'ike_. The prospect of a good fight, for a good reason, and one that was sanctioned under the newly updated supercommando codex, was going to have at least half of the Mandalore sector polishing their blasters and fueling their ships, given the similarities to the Death Watch operation that had been discovered and dismantled on Concordia.

" _Su cuy,_ Zeiirk," Wen greeted her, breaking her back out of her thoughts of possible justified impending mayhem.

" _Su cuy'gar_ ," she responded, sure the tired rasp in her voice would be audible even through her vocorder.

Sure enough, Wen gave her a concerned look. "Just _how_ many shifts did you cover, today?" He asked her.

Zeiirk thought back, and took long enough to answer that he shook his head at her, and added, " _Di'kut_ , if it were up to me, you'd be at home in your bed, not drinking and pushing your limits further."

"You may be a squad leader, yourself," she answered, amusement tugging at the corner of her mouth, "but you're a Grunt and you don't outrank me."

Moratyn cleared her throat pointedly. "If you two are done scolding each other, the meals you asked for are ready."

Wen shrugged. "I'm nowhere near done with my lecture," he replied with a smirk Zeiirk could hear, "but the rest can wait until after we've eaten."

Rolling her eyes at his rather bold assumption that he could tell her what to do, Zeiirk simply picked up her half of the stack of still-warm boxes, and turned for the kitchen doors. " _Vor'e_ , Moratyn. We'll get out of your way now, won't we, Wen."

Muttering something about stubborn _verd'e_ that she ignored lest she have to challenge him to a spar, Wen followed her example, lifting his half of the food and walking out of the kitchens. Wisely, he changed the subject, then. "So do you know what happened to that visiting _jetii_ down on the training yard a couple of rotations ago? I didn't see it, myself, but I heard he collapsed and no one seems to know why."

"I don't know for sure either. Kree's been keeping an eye on that situation. He's in closer contact with the _jetiise_ and the Mereels than anyone else but Tal, given his posting in that hallway. Captain Sina was with the _Mand'alor_ and Fett when it happened." Zeiirk answered, scraping together what was left of her ability to focus. "Sina told me that Mereel said his _ad'e_ mentioned that that sort of _osik_ happens a lot."

"Huh." Wen's _buy'ce_ tilted in that way it did when he was thinking hard. It was a tiny tell but Zeiirk had been working with him for years. A few moments later, as they turned to start climbing the stairs back up and away from the basement level the kitchens were located on, he broke his silence. "That's not ideal. Does anyone know what causes it?"

"Sina said Fett told her it was some strange Force _osik_ ," she answered, shrugging carefully so as not to drop or spill any of the food she carried. "Apparently, it's possible for a _jetii_ to get overwhelmed by it."

Wen nodded slowly. "Kree thinks that what they call the Force is the same as our _Manda_ , and that the _jetiise_ are like our star-touched _mando'ad'e_ , who have a connection to the _Ka'ra_. If that's true... Hm. But none of our star-touched _mando'ad'e_ have ever had that kind of reaction to the _Manda_."

"That we know of," Zeiirk pointed out. "It's possible that some of them have been overwhelmed by it before, themselves, and just not wanted to alarm anyone."

"That's possible. Maybe it would be worth asking around, then. Quietly, I mean." Wen made a sound that might have been a sigh if it had had a little more force behind it.

"You'd have to be karking careful," Zeiirk replied, turning the last corner between them and their destination. "That might be worthwhile, yeah, but it could also stir up a lot more trouble than it's worth. Sina's _verd'e_ have been very busy keeping the peace, lately. Not everyone is happy that the _jetiise_ are here, and some have been very loud about it. Even though they brought their _adiik_ here in a show of goodwill and helped us kick _Kyr'tsad_ out of the sector. Bringing our star-touched into this mess could be the spark to light that fuse."

Groaning in disgust, Wan muttered, " _Politics_ ," and then dropped the topic entirely as they entered the common room that traditionally served as their locale for bitch-and-bet nights.

" _Su cuy_ , Wen, Zeiirk," Darist greeted them, looking up from the datapad she'd been poking at. She was alone in the room, but all three of them knew that the others would show up before long.

 _Always working,_ Zeiirk thought fondly. All of her favourite _verd'e_ were always karking working. Jaster was kept busy for entire rotations and even weeks at a time, anytime he was in sector and not out on a hunt or a contract. Darist was constantly doing flimsiwork or otherwise occupied with logistics or actively helping Jaster and Fett make decisions. M'yare was no different. _I think I have a type. Scary, or competent and overworked,_ she decided. _And all of them have a great smile... when they relax enough to let one out._

Shaking off the thoughts, she set down her half of the food belatedly, following Wen's example that time.

"Hungry, _ver'alor_?" she asked Darist with a smirk. If she'd been less tired, she might've tried to flirt harder. Darist's exasperated reactions to her joking advances were always hilarious. She got a flat look in return, and simply picked up a boxed meal to hand to Darist. "Oh, don't be like that. Here, eat. You look about as tired as I feel, right now."

Raising an eloquent eyebrow at her, Darist took the food. "That's not a compliment, Zeiirk," she retorted. "I know exactly how many shifts you've covered in the last twenty-four hours and if it hadn't been necessary I wouldn't have allowed it. You're off the schedule entirely, next rotation."

"Thank kriff for that," Zeiirk muttered, and walked over to the sofa to sit down. "I think my brain is numb."

Wen had the balls to laugh at her. "Does that mean you're sitting out the games and gossip?"

" _Nu draar_. Just try it."

"The rotation any of you _or'dinii_ voluntarily decides not to gossip, I'll know the galaxy is imploding," Darist huffed, her amusement audible, as Zeiirk pulled off her _buy'ce_ with a groan of relief.

Before she could reply, a laugh rang out to her left, at the door.

"Obviously, _ver'alor_ ," Kree replied easily as he stepped into the room and pulled his own _buy'ce_ off his head, shaking out his curls. "Come gather 'round the table, _burc'ya'se_ , and let's eat. The others are on their way, but I'm _hungry_."

His _riduur_ stepped through the door after him, shaking her head at him. " _Cyare_ , your manners need some work. _Su cuy'gar, vod'e, ver'alor_."

"You say that every time," he shot back, "but you married me anyway."

"I married you for the alcohol," she shot back, and Zeiirk couldn't help snickering at the pair of them.

Sometimes, Zeiirk had to admit to herself, she did envy them their banter and trust, the solidity and constancy of their relationship. And maybe someday she'd find someone who could give her that. But it hadn't happened yet, and she wasn't overly upset about it. She was content with the current state of her affairs. Not being tied down to a single person was, well, it wasn't something she wanted, long-term. She did want to have a family at some point. But for now... this was fine. Everyone was having fun, and that was enough.

Deciding to join in, she gave Irre a mock-surprised look. "Oh? I thought it was for the way he polished your _beskar'gam_."

"Well, that too," Irre replied with a smirk of her own.

Darist rolled her eyes at them, and pointedly opened the box containing her meal. "So let's eat. Kree's got a point -- whoever's late can help themselves to what's left."

Zeiirk picked up her utensils and started eating, feeling a slight boost to her energy levels as the calories started to take hold. "They accepted that risk when they told Kree they would be showing up after the rest of us. Is M'yare going to be joining in again tonight?"

Darist shook her head. "She's busy dealing with something connected to that brawl her newest pair of _verd'e_ started recently."

Wen sighed heavily. "It's... tense, in the city right now."

"Yeah," Irre said on sigh of her own, "there are a lot of frustrated _mando'ad'e_ who want _Kyr'tsad_ to face a more violent kind of justice than Kryze and his lot will agree to, and there are a lot more who are offended that there are still _jetiise_ in Sundari, now that the big campaign against _Kyr'tsad_ is over."

"It's a karking primed detonator, and I don't like it, but there's not a whole lot we can do that we aren't already," Darist put in, and ran a frustrated hand through her blonde hair. " _Mand'alor_ Mereel is doing what he can to balance the need to keep the peace in the city with keeping the peace among his council, but there's no real path to victory that will let him accomplish both. He's got to sacrifice one or the other. Either wholly or partially."

Wen nodded, his expression serious, for once. "I'm all for making peace amongst the clans, and stopping the infighting, but what Kryze and his lot want, taking away our defenses and our weapons, is a death sentence for us all. We'd have no way to fight back if the Republic decided to move against us, and we'd be _dar'manda_."

"We're all in agreement on that, _vod_ ," Zeiirk spoke up. "Problem is, the Republic supports Kryze and his faction over us, and they know it. We just don't have the military or economic strength to compete with that sort of influence."

Kree took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it back out again. "Let's talk about some more amusing topics," he suggested. "We came here to put our work aside for an hour or two, not keep working."

His _riduur_ snorted. "So what should we talk about, then?"

Zeiirk took the last bite of her meal and smirked as she chewed it. Swallowing and pointing at Irre with her fork, she said, "How about that gathering of _ad'e_ in the training yard. It was karking hilarious to watch."

Darist gave her a bemused look. "You somehow had time to come spectate in between all of the shifts you pulled?"

"She came and ate her lunch with me and we watched for a while," Wen answered. "It was entertaining."

"Zeiirk, or the gathering?" Irre asked him.

"Both," Wen shot back, "but mostly the gathering. Zeiirk spent most of her time thirsting, as usual."

"Who wouldn't? Those _jetiise_ are attractive bastards." Zeiirk pointed out.

Kree gave her a look. "You know nothing about their parentage, Zeiirk, don't go flinging those terms around."

"You know birth doesn't matter around here," she shot back, "and besides, my point stands, whether they're legitimately born or not."

Wen rolled his eyes at her. "Looks don't matter either, but they're both karking excellent fighters, I'll give you that."

"Mmm, they are," Zeiirk agreed, knowing her voice went a little distant as she started imagining just what _else_ the _jetiise_ might be good at. They were all muscle, lean and clearly very strong. Possibly stronger than Mereel was. If--

" _Ka'ra_ , Zeiirk, go find a _verd_ to kriff you silly and stop imagining the _jetiise_ naked," Darist interrupted her before the fantasy could properly take shape.

Wen laughed. "I told her that already, _ver'alor_."

With a shrug, Zeiirk let the hint of criticism in the words roll back off her. "I just might," she agreed. "Think Mereel has time for a fling?"

"He's been so tied up with the aftermath of the campaign against _Kyr'tsad_ , and those new _ad'ike_ of his," Kree put in, speaking up again, "that it's hard to say. But ask him. He might be up to spend a night letting off some steam."

"That's another karking mess of a situation," Darist grumbled. "Those _verd'ike_ are too karking good at keeping their mouths shut about pretty much everything to do with themselves, and what we do know about them is _karking concerning_."

Irre snorted. " _Their existence_ is karking concerning, _ver'alor_ ," she said, her voice weary and angry. "That some _demagolka'se_ managed to get away with running a training program like the one those _verd'ike_ must've gone through... I don't like it."

Kree put a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort. "None of us does, _riduur_ ," he answered in kind, then turned to Darist. "I heard we're supposed to be keeping our ears open around the _verd'ike_ for Ardanna, for that matter. She wants to know where the little terrors are from."

"She does," Darist confirmed as Fenra, Con'ak, and Tal finally joined them, setting off a round of greetings. "The Master Armourer wants to know where their home system is, so we can karking wipe those _demagolka'se_ out of the galaxy."

"Nuke them from orbit," Wen suggested. "It's the only way to be sure. Has anyone tried just asking the _verd'ike_ about this, though?"

Zeiirk rolled her eyes at him. "They're not willing to talk about it openly, right now, and asking them about an experience that left them with those kinds of deep mental and emotional scars... That isn't anything that I want to remind them of until they've recovered more."

Wen winced. "Point. That explains why Jango's been so..."

He trailed off, looking for the right word, and Irre offered, "Busy?"

"That too," Wen agreed, "but I was thinking 'worried'."

"Worried?" Tal asked him. "What's Fett worrying about?"

"You saw what he did to that new suite his _vod'ike_ moved into. He's karking worried that something might happen to them, and with the tensions in the city, I can understand why he would be," Wen replied, and scrubbed at his face with his hands. "I have a feeling Fett and his _buir_ are trying to find a way to prepare for the eventuality that Ben or one of the _verd'ike_ ends up claiming insult because of some _jare'la di'kut_ trying to provoke them. That would be a _mess_. If some _or'dinii_ decided to offer one of them insult..."

Kree scoffed. "That _verd_ would be limping home, if he could walk at all," he pointed out, "but you're right, we don't need that to add to the tensions. Mereel, Sina and Ardanna would be livid."

Darist groaned. "Kark. One more thing to worry about."

Zeiirk had to admit, that scanned. Jango had always been very protective of those he considered 'his', like Myles and Silas. Those two weren't his _vod'ike_ , though. Not like Mereel's freshly adopted tribe of _ad'ike_. "I'll add it to the list," she quipped.

"I'm hoping that over the next few weeks, things will quiet the kriff down a little. Having the liaison's _riduur_ and their _adiik_ here has been helping a little with the tension." Darist went on. "Maybe the trend will continue."

Con'ak raised an eloquent eyebrow at her. "You think we can rely on that? I kind of doubt it. Public opinion is fickle. No, I'm betting Mereel has been working on some kind of crazy plan to deal with that issue."

Fenra shrugged. "He hasn't said anything about it to us, though. Which means it's not enough of a plan yet -- assuming it exists -- for it to be actionable. I say we wait that out."

Putting his plate back in the box it had come in and adding his utensils to the pile, Wen stretched, and added, "The ongoing and very aggressive debates over what the Force is and if it's similar to the _Manda_ or the _Ka'ra_ aren't helping, either."

"They really aren't." Irre agreed, giving her _riduur_ a pointed look.

Wen stood up and gave them all a nod. "I'll leave you all to it," he told them with a wave. " _Ret'_."

"Leaving so soon?" Fenra joked. "You haven't hit on anyone yet."

"I used up my quota earlier," Wen answered in kind, "and I have to go comm my _aliit_ before it gets too late. I promised them I would. My _vod'ad_ wants an update on how things are going, here in the capital. Says the newscasts are too biased for him."

Zeiirk watched him go, then let herself sprawl out on the sofa, settling in for a nap. "Greet Nolah for me," she requested, and closed her eyes. "The rest of you can play sabacc, I'll listen in from here."

Kree snorted. "Don't fall asleep," he warned her.

That... sounded like someone was planning some kind of prank. "Darist, you'd protect my honour, right?"

"Sure," Darist agreed, "as long as it doesn't land me in the line of fire."

... kark.

Oh well. Sleep was worth more to her at the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a Glossary
> 
>  **Ad** \- n. gender neutral word for son/daughter; plural: ad'e  
>  **Adiik** \- n. child between the ages of 3 and 13 years  
>  **Aliit** \- n. clan/family
> 
>  **B', Be'** \- prepositional prefix denoting relationship: 'of'; eg: **ad be'Mand'alor** = "child of the Mand'alor" or "the Mand'alor's child"  
>  **Buir** \- n. gender neutral word for mother/father; plural: buir'e  
>  **Buy'ce** \- n. helmet; plural: buy'ce'se  
>  **Burc'ya** \- n. friend; plural: burc'ya'se
> 
>  **Dar'manda** \- a state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditionally-minded Mando'ade  
>  **Demagolka** \- n. someone who commits atrocities, a real-life monster, a war criminal - from the notorious Mandalorian scientist of the Old Republic, Demagol, known for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche  
>  **Di'kut** \- n. idiot; plural: di'kut'e
> 
>  **Haat** \- truth
> 
>  **Ik'aad** \- n. baby; a child under 3 years old
> 
>  **Jare'la** \- adj. stupidly oblivious of danger, asking for it  
>  **Jetii'buir'e** \- n. parent-Jedi  
>  **Jetii** \- n. Jedi; plural: jetiise
> 
>  **Ka'ra** \- n. Stars; also refers to an ancient Mandalorian myth: the ruling council of fallen kings  
>  **Kyr'tsad** \- n. Death Watch
> 
>  **Manda** \- n. the collective soul or heaven - the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body and spirit - also supreme, overarching, guardian-like  
>  **Mando'ad** \- n. Mandaloran being (literally: Child of Manda)  
>  **Mand'alor** \- n. sole ruler of the Mandalore Sector; (literally: leader of the _Mando'ad'e_ )
> 
>  **Nu draar** \- No way. Absolutely not. Never in a million years. Not on your life. Emphatic disagreement and doubt. (literally: Not never.)
> 
>  **Or'dinii** \- n. moron; fool  
>  **Ori'ramikad** \- n. supercommando (Mandalorian designation of elite special forces)  
>  **Ori'vod** \- n. older sibling  
>  **Osik** \- n. dung (impolite)
> 
>  **Ret'** \- Bye! See you!
> 
>  **Su cuyi** \- Hello (literally: You're still alive.)
> 
>  **Ver'alor** \- n. lieutenant  
>  **Verd** \- n. soldier/warrior; plural: verd'e  
>  **Verd'e be'Mand'alor** \- n. the Mand'alor's warriors  
>  **Verd'goten** n. coming of age ritual, (literally: warrior-birth)  
>  **Vod** \- n. gender neutral word for brother/sister; plural: _vod'e_  
>  **Vod'ad** \- n. niece/nephew  
>  **Vod'ika** \- n. little brother/sister; plural: vod'ike


End file.
